Trivial Travel : Honeycomb Chocolate Bars From Two Hemispheres

Some travelers like to lament about the gourmet foods they find during their travels. I on the other hand plan to use this post to lament about two of my favourite candy bars, one from England the other from Australia.

Back in 1992 I 'discovered' the Cadbury Crunchie bar while briefly living in London. I recall landing at London's Heathrow Airport and picking one up.......then being hooked for the following 16 years (and counting).

The problem with having a Crunchie Bar addiction? They are not distributed in the United States. For years I have come home on flights from the UK with a backpack full of Crunchie Bars, or found ways to have others send me these delectable delights.

More recently I found myself craving a Crunchie bar with none to be found, and this lead me to find the Australian Violet Crumble bar. Upon first bite I was equally hooked on the Violet Crumble bars. The problem with this new, and equally as powerful addiction, is that the Violet Crumble bar is primarily sold in Australia (although it can be found in Hawaii, as well as in the international aisle in some supermarkets).

What do these two candy bars have in common? They are both chocolate covered honeycomb bars.

The Crunchie bar is a honeycomb toffee that is quite literally crunches as you bite through it, while the Violet Crumble bar more subtly melts in your mouth as the honeycomb touches your tongue. I find the Crunchie bar to be a slightly chewier bar while the Violet Crumble is crisper, which causes it 'crumble.'

So next time you're traveling to distant lands seeking out new things to try, pick up a new candy bar. You might just find yourself needing to return just to satisfy your sweet tooth!